ORLANDO, Fla. – Crews have started demolishing Orlando’s first and oldest public housing community with a mission to make it a better place.
Our News 6 crew on Thursday watched as some of the buildings were torn down at Griffin Park. The 9-acre property is located next to Interstate 4 and State Road 408 in the Parramore area. It has sat unoccupied since 2022 but now that the Central Florida Expressway has removed a ramp, the Orlando Housing Authority has plans to reconnect the property with the Parramore neighborhood.
CEO Vivian Bryant said the proximity to the interchange will be considered in future plans.
“The expressways were built over it,” Bryant said. “So, we want the new development to be a way from the expressway.”
The current housing units will be demolished, and new mixed-income housing units away from the highway flyovers will take their place.
Of the 23 buildings on site, two of them will be preserved. That includes a six-unit residential building and the administration building.
“It’s on the National Register of Historic Places, so we don’t want to lose that history,” Bryant said. “We wanted to make sure that we preserve that history and that we can have folks look back and see what was and still be proud of what was while we can go forward with what it can be.”
Griffin Park has been a cornerstone of the community for over 80 years. Bryant said they plan to continue working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Development, the city of Orlando and other stakeholders to make sure the new Griffin Park meets the needs of today’s households.
“We still have to work with the residents, the history museum, to come up with a concept for what the new property will look like,” Bryant said.
Bryant explained that once develop a plan with the community of what they want to build, then they’ll know how much money they need to finance the project and when it will be complete.
Carmen Colon, a former resident and community leader, said she hopes it includes amenities.
“I hope they have great buildings,” Colon said. “Maybe a pool or something like that.”
Colon called Griffin Park her home for nine years. She showed our News 6 team the corner unit where she used to live.
“It was great because I parked my car right here and brought my groceries there. And there’s the park where my grandkids used to play,” Colon said. “I used to love it.”
Colon said living at Griffin Park had a huge impact on her life.
“If they didn’t have Orlando Housing, I wouldn’t live here,” Colon said. “I live on paychecks for social security, so my income will cover no apartment.”
Bryant says there are approximately 20,000 households on the waiting list for public housing right now.
“That demonstrates the need for housing,” Bryant said.
Affordability is another issue.
“The incomes have not kept up with the increase in rents,” Bryant said. “It is a struggle.”
Bryant says the affordable housing that OHA provides meets part of the greater communities needs, but it is not nearly enough.
“We need more housing, and we can’t build it fast enough,” Bryant said. “So, that’s what we want to do along with our partners in the city and the county.”
Bryant says she hopes Griffin Park will once again have it’s place in Parramore.
“We want it to be a community. We want people to be able to walk around and to have services, to have opportunities for their children,” Bryant said. ”To make it a community that anyone would want to live in.”
Colon hopes it brings the same opportunities to other families that she had.
“I hope it brings a lot of opportunities to a lot of families. They won’t make it if they don’t have affordable housing,” Colon said. “And, because it’s going to be new it’s going to be better.”
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